1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to eyeglasses and sunglasses. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hinged joint that attaches between the temple and the lens frame on a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses.
2. Description of Related Art
Eyeglasses comprises of two temples attached to the two ends of a lens frame with two lenses affixed to the lens frame. The wearer of the eyeglasses rests the two temples on the wearer""s ears and rests the nose pad on the lens frames on the nose. Generally the distance between the temples is adjusted to fit the width of the wearer""s head.
Traditional eyeglasses use a simple hinge type of attachment to attach the two temples to the lens frame. The only possible flexibility in the eyeglasses in this design is the flexibility of the material used to fabricate the temples and the lens frame. The temples and the lens frame will have to bend to conform to the wearer. With temples and lens frame that are made of relatively rigid material, the flexibility is limited. As the wearer of the eyeglasses talks, chews food, and makes facial expressions, the pressure of the temples on the wearer""s head increases and can become uncomfortable for the wearer of the eyeglasses.
One common design that alleviates the pressure of the temples on the wearer""s head and to allow better fitting of the eyeglasses to the wearer is to incorporate a spring design that flexibly attaches the temples to the lens frame. The spring design allows the temple to flex and maintain a constant comfortable pressure on the wearer""s head. However, the spring design adds appreciable costs to the eyeglasses and also introduces a small complex mechanism to the simple design of eyeglasses.
The present invention is an elastic joint for eyeglasses. The elastic joint for eyeglasses comprises of a one-piece flexible component that is attached to the joint between the temple and the lens frame. The one-piece flexible component has an oblong-circle profile defining a through-hole near one extremity of the oblong profile and a hinge joint at the other extremity of the oblong profile. The hinge joint on the elastic joint for eyeglasses is hinged to the joint between the temple and the lens frame with the through-hole extremity positioned at the joint between the temple and the lens frame. The elastic joint for eyeglasses allows the distance between the temples to expand without undue pressure on the wearer""s head.